As a representative for all middlemen, hear my plea: Stop trying to cut us out.

I read a hurtful product description on Woot the other day. It was for some Pyrex baking/storage containers, and promised to "cut out the middleman" between baking dishes and storage containers. And while I understand the desire to eliminate inefficiency, as a middleman myself, Woot's words cut pretty deep. Do you know what it's like to have the whole world constantly trying to cut you out?

There are all sorts of great features that Woot could have focused on, like how glass storage containers don't absorb stains or odors, or how they're microwave, fridge, and freezer safe. They could have just said, "They're many useful kitchen products in one." But instead they opted for a barbed epithet against middlemen. I ask you, Woot: When you prick a middleman, does he not bleed?

I'm always the first to call out the middleman profession on its faults. For instance, I think it's pretty embarrassing that we have never admitted a female member. Sure, "Middlewoman" is a little awkward, but so is being fifty years behind the times. However, to attack an entire group of working professionals, relentlessly threatening to cut them out -- it's just not right.

I agree with Woot that these are some useful containers that eliminate the need to cook something in one dish and store it in another. I just think they could have communicated it in a way that I didn't have to explain to my children.

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